The myth of LAW not part of New Covenant

There is a big misunderstanding on Romans 1-4 to say that there is a distinction between Law and Grace. Especially when verses that contains "under Law" and "righteousness apart from Law", when read alone, will sound like the Law is of a separate covenant from Grace. Let's examine :

1. Some contends that the Gentiles CANNOT be under the Law, as the Law was given to Moses and Israel, not to Gentiles. Let's see what Paul said,

Romans 3:9 NKJV

"What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged BOTH JEWS AND GREEKS Jews that they are ALL under sin."

Romans 3:19 NKJV

"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

That's right, all are under sin. If the Gentile world is not under the Law, why are Greeks under sin? In fact, Paul explained why are Jews no different from the Gentiles, for ALL the world are subject under the Law :

Romans 2:12-16 NKJV

"For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them ) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel."

Gentiles were never under the Law of Moses. But it was by the Law of Moses, God demonstrated through Israel to the world His righteousness and His wrath against Israel's rebellion and rejection of God's commandments. The 10 commandments is God's way of life for ALL who are called to be His children. The Law of Moses deals with the transgressions of Israel; the violation of God's commandments. The levitical system was given to sustain them; to preserve and keep them till the generation where the Messiah will come.

Romans 3:19

"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

God demonstrated His righteousness and His wrath through Israel; recorded through scripture given to them. This is how the world know they are guilty before God - when they understand it all through the true preaching of the Gospel

Romans1:16-19

" For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”"18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them."

2. Paul was also trying to explain to the Jews, how the Mosiac Law (using Circumcision as an example), cannot save them from sin and destruction.

Romans 2:25-29 NKJV

"For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God."

3. Does the Law induce sin? No, it doesn't say that. It's just that through the Law, we get to understand that the wrong that we do, is called Sin.

Romans 3:20 NKJV

"Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

Romans 7:7-12 NKJV

⁷ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”^[a] 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. ⁹ I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. ¹⁰ And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. ¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. ¹² Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. 

4. So now we learnt that firstly, all the world are subject to the Law, and all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), and we understand what is sin by understanding the Law (which is Holy, not evil). How about "Righteousness apart from the Law"? Doesn't that mean that the Law is obsolete? Lets see :

Romans 3:21-23 NKJV

"But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"

Is Paul saying the Law is obsolete? Law being under the old covenant that is passed away? No. He is just saying that, since (from the previous verses) we are unable to fulfill the requirements of the Law (Rom 3:10-18), there is a righteousness we can rely on. And that righteousness is Jesus.

Romans 3:24-26 NKJV

"being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had PASSED OVER THE SINS that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

That's right, Jesus Christ was set forth as a propitiation by his blood. To pass over the sins we have committed. He is the atonement to wash away our sins. Under the Old Covenant, was there an atonement? YES, by blood of bulls and goats, an atonement for the Law we trespass. So it's the same for Jesus, he is the atonement to wash away our trespass against the Law.

Romans 3:28 NKJV

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

That's why Paul said man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the Law. "

It's not talking about the Law is removed, he's talking about Justification by Faith.

5. "So if you say that even under Justification by Faith, what is the role of the Law then??". I'm glad you asked.

Paul said, after being justified by faith (Righteousness apart from the Law), WE ESTABLISH THE LAW (Rom 3:31). How so?

Firstly, Justification by Faith has given us NO IMPUTATION OF SINS. Which means, even when we walk under the Law, our shortfalls / Sins will not be imputed. 

Romans 4:4-8 NKJV

"Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall NOT IMPUTE SIN.”"

The Law of God is in us, but there is another Law of Sin which constantly struggles to make us sin. This is what Romans 7 is talking about. The Law is not evil, but it produces death because the flesh is weak, that it cannot fulfill its requirements.

Romans 7:8-12 NKJV

"But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good."

Paul delights in the Law.

Romans 7:14 NKJV

"For we know that the law is SPIRITUAL, but I am carnal, sold under sin."

YES, THE LAW IS SPIRITUAL!

Romans 7:22-25 NKJV

For I DELIGHT in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the LAW OF GOD, but with the flesh the LAW OF SIN."

YES, WITH THE MIND, PAUL SERVES THE LAW OF GOD! 

6. So since the Law is spiritual, and Paul serves the Law of God with his mind, thus this is evident that Romans 8, is talking about the Law written in our hearts and minds.

Romans 8:2-3 NKJV

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,"

Hence, we, who are Justified by Faith, will not walk according to the ways of the flesh (wickedness), but according to the ways of God, his spirit, his Laws."

Romans 8:4 NKJV

"that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."

Romans 8:5-8 NKJV

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

7. So when we read these passages, we can clearly see that the Law is not removed. But rather Paul was talking about Righteousness (of Jesus) apart from the works of the Law, which is Justification by Faith.

Romans 6:12-14 NKJV

"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."

It's clear in the text, that because we are justified by faith, we are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness; walking in his ways, obeying the Law of God with our minds (as per Rom 7:25).

Romans 6:15-18 NKJV

"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness."

Conclusion :

Gospel of Grace is,
Old Covenent = Law
New Covenant = Grace.

The Real Gospel is,
Old Covenent = 10 Commandments (Atonement by Mosiac Law)
New Covenant = 10 Commandments (Atonement by blood of Jesus)